Iowa Hawkeye Guard Anthony Tucker Released from Scholarship

Iowa head coach Todd Lickliter announced Friday that guard Anthony Tucker was granted a release from his scholarship.

Lickliter said that he met with Tucker and his mother on Thursday, where they informed the coach that is was in the player's best interest to move on from the program. They asked for his release.

It seems the sophomore needs a change of scenery.

Having been arrested in Iowa City twice over the past two years might have something to do with that.

Tucker was first arrested, and subsequently suspended, in December 2008 after being found in a drunken coma in an alley behind a local bar. Then, he was ruled academically ineligible for the rest of the 2008-09 season.

He returned to action this season, averaging almost 12 points a game until another alcohol-related arrest in December lead to an indefinite suspension. Tucker pleaded guilty to public intoxication after being arrested following an incident with a taxi driver.

According to the recent announcement, Tucker will remain on scholarship for the rest of the semester when he plans to transfer to a yet-unknown school. The university placed no restrictions on his scholarship.

Tucker denied rumors earlier in the season about a possible transfer. In an interview, Tucker told reporters that he is often wrongly perceived because he rarely shows any emotion on the court.

Something evidently changed his mind. It appeared as though Tucker was working his way back to playing time when he asked to be released from the team.

"It's a situation where, I think we can all understand that we're playing good basketball right now. And when you're out, which Anthony was, that your team continues to move on and develop," Lickliter explained. "I like our rotations. I like the way we're playing, and we're going to continue to move forward."

In his two years as an Iowa Hawkeye, Tucker played in 25 games, starting 19. He averaged 11 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists.